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Particulate Matter Program

This page last reviewed May 28, 2015

Background

PM10
refers to particles with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 microns or
smaller. For comparison, the
diameter of a human hair is about 50 to 100 microns. Exposure to PM10
aggravates a number of respiratory illnesses and may even cause early
death in people with existing heart and lung disease. PM10 includes the
subgroup of finer particles with aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 microns
and smaller (PM2.5). These finer particles pose an increased health
risk because they can deposit deep in the lung and contain substances
that are particularly harmful to human health. PM is a mixture of
substances that include elements such as carbon and metals; compounds
such as nitrates, organic compounds, and sulfates; and complex mixtures
such as diesel exhaust and soil. These substances may occur as solid
particles or liquid droplets. Some particles are emitted directly into
the atmosphere. Others, referred to as secondary particles, result from
gases that are transformed into particles through physical and chemical
processes in the atmosphere. Please consider joining one or more of the
ARB's Particulate
Matter-related e-lists.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The following links take
you to ARB's
reports on the PM2.5 program and to additional information on PM10 and
PM2.5 ambient air quality standards, air quality and emissions data,
special studies, monitoring, health studies, planning, and control
strategy development.

Fine
Particulate Matter Monitoring Program
Since
2003, ARB has released an annual report describing the major elements
of the State's PM2.5 monitoring program. These reports can be accessed
from ARB's
Legislatively Mandated Reports webpage.

CRPAQS
The California Regional PM10/PM2.5 Air Quality Study is a multi-year
effort of meteorological and PM air quality monitoring, emission
inventory development, data analysis, and air quality modeling. Field
work consisted of 14 months of monitoring, between December 1999 and
February 2001.

State and Local
Air Monitoring Network
Listing and description of ambient air quality air monitoring sites in
California and the northern Baja California portion of Mexico. The
monitoring sites in the network include instruments that measure
ambient levels of gaseous and particulate air pollutants, and in some
cases, meteorological parameters.

PM2.5
Monitoring Network Design
ARB, in partnership with California's air quality management districts,
has developed a PM2.5 monitoring network to support and assess
compliance with the PM2.5 ambient air quality standards; support the
smoke management plan; assist in health effects studies and other
ambient research activities; and assess regional haze.

Children's
Health Study
The Children's Health Study is the nation's first large-scale effort to
explore the effects on school-aged children of long-term exposure to
outdoor air pollution, including PM, in Southern California.

F.A.C.E.S.
The Fresno Asthmatic Children's Environment Study is a large
epidemiological study of the effects of air pollution on children with
asthma. The overall goal is to determine the effects of different PM
components, in combination with other ambient air pollutants, on the
natural history of asthma in young children.